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Jenny SuttonJenny graduated in 1988 with an LLB. (Hons.) from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. She was admitted to the New Zealand Bar in 1988.
Jenny is an early stage (and angel) investor in a number of NZ ventures with global reach. She provides independent advice, often in a governance context and, amongst other things, assists talented entrepreneurs as a mentor at accelerator programmes around NZ. Jenny was the Independent Chair of Hobson Wealth Partners (previously known as Macquarie Private Wealth NZ.) following a management buy-out, has held a variety of governance roles and is a member of the Institute of Directors. Her background includes being a leading commercial and public law litigator in high-end and substantial commercial and public law cases covering a wide range of industries and areas of law from maritime, telecommunications, electricity, financial, insurance, oil, and she was well known for representing a major producer board for over a decade. She has previously headed a national intellectual property law team in a major national law firm. For a number of years Jenny was the NZ representative, Chair and director of various NZ, Australasian and International law and industry associations with a highly regarded reputation here and overseas for her work in the maritime and international insolvency arenas. In 2002 while at the Bar she chaired the government review of the oil spill response following the serious grounding of a container ship in Gisborne port. Jenny has spoken widely overseas through the US, Asia and Australasia on directors’ duties, governance and cross-border issues, been a senior litigation partner in a large national law firm and a barrister. She was a faculty member of the NZ law society’s litigation skills programme and other law training programmes for a number of years and chaired a number of national law conferences. Jenny is also a patron of the arts in NZ and Australia, a skilled negotiator and mediator, supporter of the University of Canterbury’s Centre for Entrepreneurship, sponsors and funds a variety of public and private initiatives and is a private investor in films made by New Zealand independent film-makers: - Dame Gaylene Preston's documentary "My Year with Helen" which captured Helen Clark's 2016 campaign to be UN Secretary General. - Dustin Feneley's film "Stray" which had its world premiere at the Moscow International Film Festival in April 2018 and has received many international awards. Jenny is based in Wellington and is often in Auckland and Sydney. |
Angel and early stage investing |
Investor in around 35 innovative ventures - see Greenlight Ventures NZ for portfolio
Advisory Board - Level Two, Parnell (deep-tech innovation hub) Patron of SpacebaseNZ Member: Angel List Mentor/Advisor: Lightning Lab (Creative HQ) Mentor/Advisor: R9 Accelerator (MBIE) Mentor/Advisor: Mahuki Innovation Hub (Te Papa) Mentor: Flux Accelerator (Icehouse, Auckland) |
Sponsorship
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Backer/sponsor of Policy Local - launch September 2019
Foundation Partner of the Impact Awards Founding principal sponsor of and an advisor to AmbitionNZ Sponsor (2016) of the 7x7 Ideas Forum Patron: Arts Foundation NZ Founding Governor: FoNZA, AGNSW, Sydney Fellow: AGNSW, Sydney Inaugural Cornerstone Partner, Te Papa Foundation Member: Philanthropy NZ Supporter of various charities Collection: NZ contemporary art |